Minor car accidents can be a complicated type of accident to judge. In Texas*, you are required to report accidents that involve either over $1000 in property damages or if the accident leads to injuries or death. If any injured persons are involved in the car accident, you must notify the police and get the proper care. Failure to do so, or leaving the scene before assessing, will lead to a felony punishable by imprisonment, fines, or both. If you are ever involved in a San Antonio car accident, below is information that will help you recover from that minor car accident.
Report Your Minor Car Accident
First, if you want to claim compensation from the at-fault driver, you must notify the police to report the car accident. Then the police will determine which driver is at fault for the accident. A San Antonio car accident lawyer will need the police report if their client wants to collect compensation from the at-fault driver for all of their damages. The drivers have ten days from the car accident to file for a police report and 15 days to file a claim with the insurance company.
Document the Car Accident
While you are waiting at the scene of the minor car accident, take photos of the cars and their damages. You want to have pictures of your vehicle and the other vehicle. Taking pictures or videos of the area around the car accident will also be helpful if you use a San Antonio car accident lawyer. This is also when you exchange information with the other driver or drivers involved in the minor car accident. You should exchange names and phone numbers, identify if everyone has car insurance, and ensure everyone is safe from ongoing traffic.
Assessing Injuries
After everything, it is essential to go to a doctor to assess any injuries you sustained from the car accident. Whether they were severe or not, you should still have documentation from a doctor about your injuries right after the accident. If you wait a week or two after and find that you are experiencing neck pains from possible whiplash. You will have missed out on receiving compensation to pay for those medical bills in the future. It could take a couple of days to start feeling the pains from a minor car accident. If you had injuries, never went to the doctor, and decided to pursue a car accident claim with an attorney, you may be out of luck. There would be no proof that you experienced injuries directly related to the accident if you never got evaluated.
Inform the Insurance Company & Speak with a San Antonio Car Accident Lawyer
After any type of car accident, severe or minor, you need to notify your insurance company. However, you should not discuss any details about your car accident or sign any paperwork if you want to collect a settlement. Most of the time, the insurance companies, want to pay the lowest amount possible for your damages. Therefore, it is important to know what kind of car insurance you have and how much coverage you have.
In Texas, the legal minimum amount of coverage for car insurance is 30/60/25.
$30,000 for each injured person
$60,000 total per accident
$25,000 for property damage
Overall, if you are involved in a San Antonio car accident, remember that Texas is an at-fault state. This means that the at-fault driver is responsible for paying your damages. But what happens if the at-fault driver doesn’t have car insurance? Uninsured Motorist coverage is an optional insurance plan that protects you if the person who hit you doesn’t have insurance. As a result, UM provides you with the amount of coverage, that you would need for injuries and property damage. A San Antonio car accident lawyer will ensure that the insurance company pays the full amount required for the damages you experienced to get the total amount of compensation you deserve.